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Thursday, 30 April 2015

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa TahirPublished: 28th April 2015 by RazorbillSet in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told.LAIA is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.ELIAS is the academy’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor.When Laia and Elias’s paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself.

A letter from Sabaa TahirDear Readers,Today, my “baby” AN EMBER IN THE ASHES is finally out in the world! From inception to pub date, this journey took eight years. And what a journey it was: writing, rewriting, revising, editing, querying, submitting; Meeting other debuts, bloggers, booksellers and librarians, and hearing their thoughts on EMBER. There aren’t enough superlatives to describe the radness.And now, the book is here! I am so excited to see it in the hands of readers. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. To celebrate release day, I’m giving away two signed, first-edition hardcovers of the book. Details below!All my best,Sabaa

Book Trailer

Author Bio - Sabaa Tahir

Sabaa Tahir grew up in California’s Mojave Desert at her family’s 18-room motel. There, she spent her time devouring fantasy novels, raiding her brother’s comic book stash and playing guitar badly. She began writing An Ember in the Ashes while working nights as a newspaper editor. She likes thunderous indie rock, garish socks and all things nerd. Sabaa currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.

Sixteen-year-old Madeline has been living on the streets, biding her time until she's eighteen. With little to no money, she takes on a heist in hopes of making ends meet. What could possibly go wrong?

Everything.

Getting caught is just the beginning of Madeline's adventure as she meets Weston and discovers the secret of where she came from.

Fans of Orphan Black, The X-Files, and Fringe will fall head over heels for STOLEN ART.

I rush back up the dark stairwell, shoving the key into the doorknob. It takes a minute for the lock to click and I push myself inside the apartment, securing every lock and deadbolt. I can’t stay here in Hutchinson, Kansas any longer. Pulling my phone from my purse, I text Weston.

Tatiana is here. It’s not safe for me.

I grab the few belongings that have any value to me, sentimental or otherwise, and shove it into my shoulder bag, including the stolen silver necklace. It has value and if I’m forced on the run, I’ll need money to survive.

I know.

What did Weston mean he knew Tatiana is at the bar? Had he seen her? Is he there?

What do you mean, you know? I type into the phone. If he saw her, why didn’t he warn me? I can’t go down out the front door and it’s only a matter of time until she finds me just a few feet away. I grow restless waiting for an answer.

The phone buzzes and displays an incoming call from Weston. "Wes, tell me you’re here." The only thing to do is hop in his car and drive into the night, far from Kansas.

A female’s voice bubbles with laughter. "Oh he’s coming darling, but you should know he won’t get here in time. Amazing how easy it is to clone a phone number and steal his service. The advancements Stem Tech has made is encouraging."

Author Bio - Ruth Silver

Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of the Aberrant trilogy. With a passion for writing and a love of story-telling, Ruth is actively writing multiple series under her name as well as the pen name Ravyn Rayne. Her interests include traveling, reading, and photography. Her favorite vacation destination is Australia. Ruth currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois.

Tuesday, 28 April 2015

Life Unawareby Cole GibsenPublished: 28th April 2015 by Entangled TeenRegan Flay has been talking about you.Regan Flay is on the cusp of achieving her control-freak mother's "plan" for high school success―cheerleading, student council, the Honor Society—until her life gets turned horribly, horribly upside down. Every bitchy text. Every bitchy email. Every lie, manipulation, and insult she's ever said have been printed out and taped to all the lockers in school.Now Regan has gone from popular princess to total pariah.The only person who even speaks to her is her former best friend's hot but socially miscreant brother, Nolan Letner. Nolan thinks he knows what Regan's going through, but what nobody knows is that Regan isn't really Little Miss Perfect. In fact, she's barely holding it together under her mom's pressure. But the consequences of Regan's fall from grace are only just beginning. Once the chain reaction starts, no one will remain untouched... Especially Regan Flay.

Author Bio - Cole GibsonCole Gibsen first realized she different when, in high school, she was still reading comic books while the other girls were reading fashion magazines.It was her love of superheroes that first inspired her to pick up a pen. Her favorite things to write about are ordinary girls who find themselves in extraordinary situations.

Saturday, 25 April 2015

Rebounding by Shanna ClaytonNA RomanceExpected Publication: June 2015Cover Design: Eden Crane DesignGoodbye.Charlotte Hart will do anything to escape the life she once adored, even if that means moving in with a mysterious guy from her past.Hello.When the girl who saved Max Archer’s life shows up on his doorstep, he knows he can’t turn her away.Neither of them can let go of their pasts. Both of them are living a lie. If they can’t figure out how to rebound, they’re destined to crash and burn.

I'm not sure if my mother predestined me to become a romance author when she named me after her favorite Kathleen Woodiwiss book, but that's what happened. Now I live and breathe all things books. When I'm not glued to my desk writing, I can be found eating too much chocolate, obsessing over Game of Thrones, and cyber stalking my favorite authors. Keep up with me on Facebook and Instagram. I love hearing from readers!

Thursday, 23 April 2015

A Love Like Ours (Porter Family #3) by Becky WadeChristian Contemporary RomancePaperback, 368 PagesExpected Publication: 5th May 2015 by Bethany House PublishersDeeply scarred from a day he wishes he could forget during his military service, Thoroughbred trainer Jake Porter has given up on love. He struggles against symptoms of PTSD, lives a solitary life, and avoids relationships.When Lyndie James, Jake's childhood best friend, returns to their hometown of Holley, Texas, Jake cautiously hires her to exercise his Thoroughbreds. Lyndie is tender-hearted, fiercely determined, and afraid of nothing, just like she was as a child. Jake trusts her with his prized racehorse, Silver Leaf, then battles his hopes for his horse against his increasing fear for Lyndie's safety.Though Jake and Lyndie have grown into very different adults, the bond that existed during their childhood still ties them together. Against Jake's will, Lyndie's sparkling, optimistic personality begins to tear down the walls he's built around his heart. A glimmer of the hope he'd thought he'd lost returns. Will Jake ever be able to love Lyndie like she deserves, or is his heart too shattered to mend?

(Pin this image linking to the Tour Launch for an extra giveaway entry.)

ExcerptA memory flashed through his mind of a blond woman walking toward him at Whispering Creek. He grasped at the image, like a drowning man would a rope. She’d worn a pale green sweater and a scarf. She’d had compassion in her face, and knowledge of him. She was his oldest friend, the one he’d protected when he’d still been capable of protecting. Her petite body held strength in its graceful curves. Her brown eyes were beautiful to him.“I heard about what happened to you in Iraq,” she’d said. “I’m sorry.”The memory of her fought against the darkness in his mind, and gradually, the sharpest edge of misery began to pull away.Jake pushed from the bed and turned on his shower. While he waited for the water to get hot, he planted a palm against the shower door to steady his shuddering body.His watch read 4:02 a.m., a small mercy. He knew from experience that he couldn’t fall back to sleep after a nightmare. Had it been 12:02, he’d have had many more hours of sleeplessness ahead of him.He stepped into the stall and hot spray beat against the back of his neck and upper shoulders.Another memory of Lyndie, this time of her galloping Gold Tide, tried to slip into his thoughts. He blocked it, refusing to think about her any more than necessary.He had only two goals where Lyndie was concerned: to interact with her as little as possible and to keep her safe.Whispering Creek Horses took every precaution with their exercise riders. In the past, a few had sustained minor injuries but none had been seriously hurt. There was no reason to worry about Lyndie.He should be more concerned about himself. He couldn’t afford to let a pretty blonde mess with his head.Except, she didn’t mess with your head just now, did she, Jake? Thinking of her helped you.He cranked off the shower. After pulling on shorts and sneakers, he entered the room in his loft he’d filled with workout equipment. A rowing machine, treadmill, ropes, barbells, a chin-up bar, and weight-lifting benches waited for him. The back-breaking regimen he put himself through every day helped him believe that he still had some small control over his body. Over his life.After he’d worked out, he’d feel better. Maybe.He blew out an angry breath.He’d work out. And then he’d feel better.He couldn’t afford to let a pretty blonde mess with his head.

Author Bio - Becky Wade

During her childhood in California, Becky Wade frequently produced homemade plays starring her sisters, friends, and cousins. These plays almost always featured a heroine, a prince, and a love story with a happy ending. She's been a fan of all things romantic ever since.Becky and her husband lived overseas in the Caribbean and Australia before settling in Dallas, Texas. It was during her years abroad that Becky's passion for reading turned into a passion for writing. She published three historical romances for the general market, put her career on hold for many years to care for her kids, and eventually returned to writing sheerly for the love of it. She’s delighted to be penning warm, wry, and heartwarming contemporary romances for the Christian market. She's the Carol Award and Inspirational Reader's Choice Award winning author of My Stubborn Heart, Undeniably Yours, and Meant to Be Mine.These days Becky can be found failing but trying to keep up with her housework, sweating at the gym, carting her kids around town, playing tennis, hunched over her computer, eating chocolate, or collapsed on the sofa watching TV with her husband.

Wednesday, 22 April 2015

NA Fantasy/ParanormalPublished: 4th November 2014Untouchable. Ghost. Assassin. Mad. Fen Jacin-rei is all these and none. His mind is host to the spirits of long-dead magicians, and Fen’s fate should be one of madness and ignoble death. So how is it Fen lives, carrying out shadowy vengeance for his subjugated people and protecting the family he loves?Kamen Malick means to find out. When Malick and his own small band of assassins ambush Fen in an alley, Malick offers Fen a choice: Join us or die.Determined to decode the intrigue that surrounds Fen, Malick sets to unraveling the mysteries of Fen’s past. As Fen’s secrets slowly unfold, Malick finds irony a bitter thing when he discovers the one he wants is already hopelessly entangled with the one he hunts.​

ExcerptEverything
was going perfectly so far, exactly according to plan, so Malick was a little
surprised when the man’s soft voice—deeper than Malick had supposed, and laced
tight with control—came like the point of a knife from the other side of that
flimsy screen: “Why
are you watching me?” Good
thing Malick lived for the unexpected. Damn, he’d been so careful to appear as
though he hadn’t been watching at all. His eyebrows only rose a little as he
paused, propped his shoulder to the uneven stone of the wall, and casually
crossed one leg over the other, draping his lanky self artistically, and adding
a brash grin. For good measure—and better effect—he brushed the long skirt of
his duster back to expose the small knife at his belt, propped elbow to hipbone
and made a show of inspecting his fingernails. A damned tempting picture he
made, if he did say so. “Well,
good evening to you too,” he drawled. The screen jittered then rattled aside halfway. The man
stood inside the box, using the screen as flimsy half cover, clad in nothing
but a bathsheet and attitude, a hard glare scraping from amber-shot gray eyes
ringed in indigo, and spiking through the mist of the bath straight into
Malick’s chest. Fuck, the man was gorgeous. The hair
was still disappointingly bound, but the wild fringe had come loose again to
hang frayed and dripping over the eyes; Malick was surprised the fierce,
furious stare didn’t singe the ends. Lamp-tawny droplets of water slipped over
hard, masculine lines, lean and long. Abrasions, bruises, and scars—apparent
evidence of close wet-work—mottled unevenly but for a heavy swath of thin,
silvery stripes on the left bicep, neat and straight, as though they’d been put
there apurpose. His chest was hairless, Malick noted with a slight inner-trill,
shaped by hard work and padded with mouth-watering rises and ripples as he
breathed; the ridges of a tight abdomen stood out in sublime relief, sliding
down to those enticing dual grooves beneath the barrier of the sheet where
torso became groin. Malick
let his eyes rove unfettered, taking in every line and swell, lingering too
long for manners on the way the sheet bunched in a white-knuckled fist between
the man’s groin and the tantalizing wing of his left hip. Gaze skidding upward,
Malick took careful note that he couldn’t see the right hand behind the flimsy
shield of the screen, and by the way the pectoral on that side quivered tense,
the Ghost likely had something very unfriendly clutched in his fist. Malick was
ridiculously pleased that the carelessness at which he’d earlier curled his lip
was a figment of his own assumptions, and warned himself not to indulge them
again. He would likely not live to regret underestimating this Untouchable. “Why are you watching
me?” Bitten out through teeth clenched tight. Such pretty white
little teeth, straight and even. Malick wondered if they’d draw blood when they
snapped… wondered if he’d like it. Of course, if those full lips were to follow
along, soothe the hurt…. Oh,
fuck me. I really think I want this one.

Author Bio - Carole CummingsCarole lives with her husband and family in Pennsylvania, USA, where she spends her time trying to find time to write. Recipient of various amateur writing awards, several of her short stories have been translated into Spanish, German, Chinese and Polish.

Pixelated by L.S. MurphyExpected Publication: 30th June 2015 by Bloomsbury SparkSenior Year. Middle of nowhere.What's the new girl to do?For Piper Marks, the answer is simple. She’s determined to have her photography rock the cover of National Geographic someday, and moving to Clarkton, Iowa for her last year of high school is not going to stop her. Even if her usual subjects have changed from bright lights and skyscrapers to fields, cows...and more fields.But when photographer at the local paper quits in a huff, she steps into his spot. Her new job keeps Piper busy capturing tackles, and zooming in on first downs and end zone dances, not to mention putting her directly in the path of varsity football star Les Williams IV. Her new friends warn her off, but she can’t resist the pull she feels toward this mysterious country boy. But this small town is keeping a secret, and it’s one that could destroy any chance they have to be together.It’s up to Piper to decide what to do with the distorted truth. Can she risk exposing her heart? It might be worth it, 'cause Les is about to change her world from black and white to fully saturated color.

"In Pixelated, L.S. Murphy weaves a complex web of secrets and lies with a ‘will they or won’t they’ romance that kept me turning pages and holding my breath!"

~ Julie Reece, author of The Artisans and Crux

"Beautifully written, with a full spectrum of emotion and complex characters, Pixelated will tug at all your heartstrings. I easily lost myself in the world L.S. Murphy created and couldn't stop reading because I needed to see how the story ended."

~ Kelly Oram, author of Cinder & Ella

"L.S. Murphy brings something for every reader with Pixelated: romance, secrets, mystery, and a main character torn between two choices. Murphy's writing is sharp and steeped in emotions, deftly hooking her readers from the first sentence to the last."

~ Sarah Bromley, author of A Murder Of Magpies

Author Bio - L.S. Murphy

L.S. Murphy obsesses about St. Louis Cardinals baseball, fangirls over her favorite authors, and watches every episode of Doctor Who like it's the first time. When she's not doing those time-consuming things, the former farm-girl turned city slicker turned suburbanite writes sweet romances for teens and adults.

Suspected (The Elected Series #2) by Rori ShayYA DystopiaEast Country upheld the laws. Mid destroyed them.In the year 2185 Earth is rebuilding after a global eco-crisis. Countries maintain complete isolation so there is no warfare over scarce resources. One Elected family is chosen to lead each country for 100 years to ensure stability. Women aren't allowed to take office and must reproduce at all costs. Technology use of any kind is banned to preserve what's left of the environment.And yet, I'm my country's Elected. I've just sanctioned technology use to ready us for war. I'm about to cross the border to spy on our neighbor. And...I'm a girl. Shhhhhh.....

ExcerptEven the terrain in Mid Country senses we are intruders. Jagged rocks and thorny brown weeds jut out of the earth, scraping our ankles and slowing our progress. I didn’t have as much trouble hiking up East Country’s side of the border, but now that the three of us, me, Griffin, and Margareath, descend the steep slope into Mid, we’re constantly catching ourselves mid-stumble.“You ok?” Griffin asks, reaching out a hand to steady me.“Uh-huh.” The lie sounds hollow, even to my own ears. But I say it anyway and pick up my pace. I don’t want Griffin to convince me to turn back again like he tried to do as we waited for Margareath at the hill’s crest. Going back to East Country is the one thing I can’t do, and Griffin doesn’t even know the whole reason why. All he thinks is, I left East Country to spy on our neighbor and to help him escape our country’s death penalty.Yet there is another reason, and thus far, there has been no good time to tell Griffin he’s going to father not one, but two children in the Elected family. My pregnancy is something I want to divulge in a special way, not as we run like fugitives, breaking almost every law of our forefathers.When the lights from Mid catch my attention again and almost set me into a forward tumble, I try to focus on doing one thing at a time: get down the hill, cross into Mid Country, then tell Griffin the news.Everything about Mid so far is offensive: their flagrant display of electricity, the strange way Margareath didn’t remember her family when asked about her children moments ago, even the air on Mid’s side of the Nirogene mines smells different than ours. There is a faint scent of wet metal and something sweetly acidic, which I can’t quite place, but that’s causing me to gag. I stop for a second, burying my face into the fabric of my shirt sleeve to take a deep, clean breath. Vienne warned me that newly pregnant I’d have a heightened sense of smell. That, on top of my perpetual nausea, is overwhelming to say the least.I blink my eyes once hard before proceeding forward again. The massive amount of illegal light emanating from Mid’s epicenter miles to our west is tremendous. It’s so dark on the mountain and so bright in the distance; our direct path seems even bleaker.“Just a little more to the bottom of the hill,” says Margareath. She pants in between every other word, the exhaustion of our trek down this treacherous mountain evident on her features. “Once we reach the bottom, it’s about a day and a half walk to Mid’s city.”I try to estimate the number of miles from the border to Mid’s center. Maybe fifty, given Margareath’s statement and the fact that our pace is relatively slow. How long, I wonder, would it take a group of fighters from East to traverse the plains if an invasion was required? Every nugget of data on Mid gets me one step closer to understanding why they’re trying to invade my country, steal our resources, and kill my people. And closer to figuring out how to stop them.I turn my head to peek at Griffin. Even in the inky darkness, I can see his brow furrowed in concentration. He’s been trying to act calm as we make our unlawful descent into enemy territory, but I can see the uneasiness in his eyes. He’s an escaped convict, and I’ve just broken at least two of the world’s Eco Accords. He’s as determined to thwart Mid as I am, but sneaking into the country is dangerous for both of us.And Margareath is only barely helping. She’s been strange ever since we met her at the hill’s peak, giving hints about Mid Country, but not really telling us anything tangible. Her apparent glorification of our enemy and its “amazing” capabilities is unnerving.What if it’s a trap? Could Margareath, the first and only spy I sent into Mid, have defected? Would she dare lead us straight into the hands of Mid’s Elected? Breaking the Eco Accords and country isolationism would be a good enough excuse for their leader to execute me and Griffin right on the spot.

Other Books in the Series

It’s the year 2185, and in two weeks, Aloy will turn eighteen and take her father’s place as president of the country. But to do so, she must masquerade as a boy to avoid violating the Eco-Accords, four treaties designed to bring the world back from the brink of environmental extinction. Aloy hopes to govern like her father, but she is inheriting a different country. The long concealed Technology Faction is stepping out of the shadows, and as turmoil grows within her country, cryptic threats also arrive from beyond their borders.As she struggles to lead, Aloy maintains her cover by marrying a woman, meanwhile battling feelings for the boy who knows her secret—the boy who is somehow connected to her country’s recent upheaval. When assassination attempts add to the turmoil, Aloy doesn’t know whom to trust. She understood leadership required sacrifice. She just didn’t realize the sacrifice might be her life.

Rori Shay is a strategic management consultant living in the Seattle area with her family, black lab, and cat. In the writing world, Rori is primarily know for her science fiction trilogy, The Elected Series. She enjoys running, reading, snow-shoeing, pumpkin-picking, and right now…writing the third ELECTED novel! Rori is also a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

I would like to alert my readers that my opinions are my own and I am not being paid for my reviews. All books not bought are given to me freely and are accepted for an honest review. Receiving ARC's and/or free review copies in no way influences the opinions expressed in my reviews.